Of course it's pure marketing. Then again Musk is trying to build a space company, so I guess it's all good.

People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, “Where are you from?” doesn't lead to anything odd or interesting. They live somewhere near a Gap store, and what else do you need to know? - Garrison Keillor

at some time in the distant future someone is going to find that floating through the solar system and they are going to be completely confused on what it is and why did someone do it. For that reason alone I think it was worth it.

at some time in the distant future someone is going to find that floating through the solar system and they are going to be completely confused on what it is and why did someone do it. For that reason alone I think it was worth it.

Apparently scientists say that the radiation will cause the plastics to break up and the car will fall apart. Although it would be awesome if it didn't.

If you want different results in your life, you need to do different things than you have done in the past. Change is that simple.

He had to test the Falcon Heavy anyway. This way he tested the rocket could fly, a payload could be delivered in space and 2 of the 3 boosters made it home safely (& it's really cool to see those 2 touchdown in perfect unison next to each other). I like the fact that he has Bowie's "Landing on Mars" playing on a loop in the radio. At least he didn't use an underpaid intern as 'Starman' - James Cordon

Whether it falls apart or stays intact really is of no consequence. But I would like to be the fly on the wall on the bridge of the alien spacecraft finds this thing and says WTF! Stupid humans tried an open air space craft and the guy turned stiff.

"Whatever beer I'm drinking, is better than the one I'm not." DMLW
"Budweiser sells a product they reflectively insist on calling beer." John Oliver

at some time in the distant future someone is going to find that floating through the solar system and they are going to be completely confused on what it is and why did someone do it. For that reason alone I think it was worth it.

Going out 4 wheeling in the desert we would occasionally find burnt out cars in the desert. You always wonder how they made it. Especially after you just went over some giant rocks that almost high center a lifted Jeep.

Science often uses weird/fun examples to prove important concepts. People laughed about Texas A&M turning a carrot maroon, for good reason (school color, for the uninitiated). Except that Texas A&M accomplishing that was key in genetic modification of fruits & vegetables and that it resulted in 40% more beta-carotene. This is the same center that created onions that make you cry less and have single centers (for easier use in restaurants and as onion rings).

Musk wanted to show what the rocket could do, and he wanted to do it in a way that maintained headlines for multiple days & would probably pop up in future months & years with updates. In this case, it was how far could this rocket launch and, perhaps more importantly, demonstrating the final stage rocket boost delay for six hours. Using a car captured people's imaginations.

I generally believe Musk is a prick, but it doesn't make him any less of a genius.

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

I thought I read/heard that they were trying to offload the tesla into a path that would end up orbiting mars, and that that did not happen so now its doing its own thing. Trying to put it in orbit this way seems like a legitimate experiment. More importantly, the lower cost and reusable space launching that was just proven to be feasible is entirely worth it from a scientific perspective. This seems like a very remarkable scientific achievement.